Rabbit-themed decorations are seen in South Coast Plaza, Orange County, California, the United States, on Jan. 19, 2023. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)
LOS ANGELES: A 4.6m-tall rabbit showered by hundreds of lucky lanterns and whimsical hanging orbs sits on top of a garden full of gold coins and ingots at the centre of South Coast Plaza, signifying the arrival of the Chinese Lunar New Year, good luck and prosperity.
Located in Costa Mesa in Southern California, the largest shopping mall on the West Coast of the United States has created a stunning display of Chinese tradition and culture to embrace the Year of the Rabbit, featuring lion dances, exhibits, craft activities and special foods designed to honour Chinese and other Asian traditions.
The Lunar New Year for 2023, which is based on the lunar calendar and falls today, marks the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, a gentle, beloved animal that is regarded as the luckiest on the Chinese zodiac.
Now in its 11th year, South Coast Plaza’s Lunar New Year festivities are the largest of any retail centre on the West Coast, drawing visitors from California and other parts of the country.
“We are pulling out a full effort to celebrate the Lunar New Year starting this week all the way through the Lantern Festival,” Preston Antonini, vice president and general manager of Bloomingdale’s at South Coast Plaza, told Xinhua.
“Every year we celebrate the Lunar New Year,” he said, adding that about 40% of Bloomingdale’s business comes from local Asian customers.
Special arrangements for this year’s Lunar New Year celebration include lion dances, giving out red envelopes, offering Chinese cuisine, and setting up a bunny petting zoo for kids, Antonini said. — Xinhua
